Photos

TO GO WITH STORY AUSTRALIA-ENVIRONMENT-OUTBACK BY MADELEINE COOREY
(FILES) A file photo taken on August 4, 2002, shows shooting brothers Dave (L) and Mick Kurchel (R) display their catch of foxes from an early morning's shoot in the Australian bush near Ballarat. As one of the wildest and most natural places on Earth, Australia's Outback is home to few people, but a new study argues it needs a bigger population if it is to survive. The vast area, which spreads out from Australia's centre to cover some three-quarters of the landmass, is suffering from several threats including feral animals and invasive weeds. But the report "The Modern Outback", published by the Pew Charitable Trusts, said with Aboriginal peoples removed from or leaving the land, and fewer workers on many pastoral properties, it was bereft of people to manage these dangers. AFP PHOTO/FILES/Paul CROCKPAUL CROCK/AFP/Getty Images